Borean Tundra
Tuskarr (22,800) Drakkari troll (2,850) Naga (2,280) Blue dragonflight (285) Scourge (285) Gnome Orc |loc=Southwestern Northrend |level=68-72 |population=28,500 |capital= Kaskala (12,500) |government=Tribal |major=Riplash Ruins (3,000) |affiliation=Independent}} Located at the far western edge of Northrend, the Borean Tundra (pronounced BOHR-ian) is the home of the Tuskarr. Drakkari trolls, blue dragons, the Undead Scourge and naga also inhabit the zone. Important landmarks of the region include the Tuskarr capital of Kaskala and the Riplash Ruins. Coldarra is an island just off the coast. Most of the Borean Tundra is empty ice. Tuskarr are the dominant presence in the Borean Tundra. However, they keep near their villages, and one can go for days without seeing another living creature. Tuskarr mainly care about fishing, whaling and protecting their villages. Tuskarr will fend off hungry Drakkari, and even fight wayward nerubians, and are formidable foes; but they never attack anyone without good reason. Drakkari wander the tundra, but not in any significant numbers, most are content to roam alone or in small packs. They have no city in the tundra, but live in several camps, none big enough to have names. They harass the tuskarr from time to time, but every time the tuskarr gather their forces and send the Drakkari running. Nerubians wander about as well, but only in small packs. Naga live near the south end, in the Riplash Ruins. Sometimes blue dragons from Coldarra also fly over the tundra from time to time. Scourge creatures, lone scouts straggle over from the lake area. The Borean Tundra is not an important part of Northrend. It’s too isolated and too barren to be desirable and has too much shoreline to be defensible. Tuskarr like it because of that expansive shore, and the Riplash Ruins gives the naga a perfect view of anyone approaching across the ocean from the south. Drakkari hunt here because they can and because the tundra provides little cover for wildlife. Most others stay well away, preferring the forested areas to the east. History The nerubians were in the Borean Tundra first, according to the ruins. However, the ruins may be parts of Azjol-Nerub that were thrust up from underground, though, unless it was an experiment to see if they could be comfortable living above ground. If the latter is the case it may have failed, since it is a ruin. The tuskarr were next — Kaskala’s oldest village is at least several centuries old, and the rest grew up around it as family members split off to start their own smaller families. The Drakkari are more recent additions to the area and have no fixed settlement. The Scourge rarely appears, and its agents never stay longer than it takes to patrol and look for potential dangers or new recruits. In World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, the Horde has established the settlement of Warsong Hold under the command of the Mag'hari son of Grom, Garrosh Hellscream. The Horde has created a pact with the local and culturally similar Tuskarr, who are under siege from naga based at the Riplash Ruins. These naga intend to use their generators to melt the surrounding ice caps. Garrosh and his forces have also discovered the enigmatic taunka, an ancient offshoot of the tauren race thought to be lost forever. Geography The Borean Tundra is wide, flat and cold. A solid sheet of ice covers it, and beneath that is soil frozen rock-hard. Along the west edge the ice rises up into some nasty cliffs, which then shear off into the Westrift. To the north the ice smooths out into one glittering sheet that’s glass-slick and leads right to Lake Wintergrasp. The northwest corner, up by the Sholazar Basin, has no ice and only a little snow — a few hardy souls have even set up farms there. The east is also gentler, still snow-covered but less treacherous where it leads down to the ocean. At its north edge the tundra runs into Lake Wintergrasp, a vast frozen lake that effectively shields it from the Dragonblight and Icecrown Glacier. The only way to reach these areas overland is across the mountains bordering the Dragonblight or through the Sholazar Basin, neither which are easy. An army would be suicidal to attempt either. Not many plants can survive up here. Without any cover the wind is fierce enough to tear flesh, and people can barely hear themselves when they shout. A few trees manage to hang on, evergreens, but the small twisted kind rather than the tall proud ones out east. Wolves and rabbits and foxes and even bears, roam this area. However, most of the life is in the water. This is the longest region in Northrend, running from its southwest tip up to Lake Wintergrasp. The ground here is more dirt than rock, and small trees and scrub dot the landscape. But everything is still frozen solid. Somehow the tundra avoids most of Northrend’s problems. The Scourge rarely comes here, the Drakkari are only a minor nuisance, and even the ice storms are less severe. Perhaps the Borean Tundra owes its fortune to its isolation. Along its south edge is the ocean, of course, and along the southwest tip as well. Warsong Hold has a zeppelin tower connecting it to one or both of the other two continents (or possibly to Vengeance Landing in Howling Fjord), and Justice Keep has a dock connecting it to the rest of the world. Maps Subregions Dungeons Travel Hubs Flight paths from Justice Keep, to unnamed gnomish town Unknown Flight paths from Warsong Hold and Kaskala Unknown Regions Adjacent to Borean Tundra Notable Characters Borean Tundra will see the relocation of Garrosh Hellscream to Warsong Hold. There may be other famous faces around as well. Quests Unknown Resources Unknown Wild Creatures * Naga Notes, Tips, & Additional Info * Borean Tundra contains bases of both factions, and won't have an emphasis for a specific faction.http://events.curse.com/leipzig2007/articles/details/2842/ Gallery More screenshots can be found on the various subzone pages. Image:Ss26-hires.jpg|Justice Keep the Alliance base in Borean Tundra. Image:Ss27-hires.jpg|Outside of Justice Keep References Category:Flats Category:Lore Zones Category:Future Zones Category:Continent:Northrend Category:Borean Tundra Category:Wrath of the Lich King